Finally, additional virtualization certifications on the way

As virtualization continues to advance its way into the datacenter, one common complaint that many organizations raise is the fact that there aren’t a lot of “virtualization experts” in the industry. And more to the point, there aren’t that many available for hire because the organizations that already employ these experts aren’t letting them go without a fight. And the search for virtualization experts is only going to get more difficult as more companies begin to leverage virtualization technology in their datacenter. IDC projects that the market for virtualization services are going to reach nearly $12 billion by 2011. So who is going to perform that role?

Love them or hate them, one way to help identify people with knowledge or expertise in a particular field is through certifications. And yes, I’m all too familiar with the “paper cert” versus actual hands-on experience arguments. While every certification holder may not prove themselves in the “real-world,” in this day and age of searching for virtualization administrators in a sea of people, a certification can at least give an organization a glimmer of hope while trying to identify potential candidates.

VMware is the current market leader in the virtualization space, and they are also the only company that has really been putting any sort of effort behind certifying IT professionals as virtualization users.

But now, as Microsoft finally begins to put both feet into the virtualization waters, they too are extending their Microsoft certifications to include this technology. Microsoft expects to have their hypervisor technology, Hyper-V, ready to launch by August. And they are also beginning to push their other virtualization technologies: their management software, Microsoft System Center Virtual Machine Manager (SCVMM); their application virtualization software, Application Virtualization (formerly SoftGrid); and their upcoming desktop virtualization solution, Enterprise Desktop Virtualization from the acquisition of Kidaro.

To help IT pros develop a baseline of understanding about virtualization and the spectrum of technologies it encompasses, Microsoft Learning has created a series of training and Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certification programs that focus on Hyper-V and the forthcoming System Center Virtual Machine Manager, both of which are part of Microsoft’s virtualization strategy.

“Right now, the goal of our certification offerings is simply to provide IT pros with a fundamental understanding of how virtualization software operates and how it can enable them to accomplish tasks that are asked of them. This means that if I need three virtual machines on a server that point to a particular datacenter, I have the assurance that a Microsoft Certified Technical Specialist can do it,” says Jim Clark, Microsoft senior product planner.

Microsoft said the virtualization training will be delivered in a variety of virtual, distance learning, and instructor-led options that focus on the fundamentals of virtualization, the underlying principles of virtualization architecture and the specifics of Microsoft’s technology.

And Microsoft already has one virtualization exam currently in Beta, Exam 70-652: Windows Server Virtualization-Configuration. Candidates who pass this exam will earn the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist: Windows Server Virtualization-Configuration certification when the exam goes live. Candidates for this exam should have experience installing and configuring Microsoft Hyper-V, as well as experience deploying, managing, and monitoring virtual machines with tools like SCVMM.

I’m thrilled that Microsoft is going down this path, and I’m glad that VMware is continuing to advance its own certification programs. Now if we can just convince third parties like CompTIA to come out with a generic virtualization exam, I’ll be that much happier.